Type 98
The Type 98 (also known as the ZTZ-98) is a main battle tank used in limited service in the People's Liberation Army of China and is manufactured by Norinco. It is part of a line of third generation tanks to replace the aging Type 90 MBT's that are based on the Soviet T-72 design. The newest version is the Type 99A, but only the prototype and early production model has been made into Battlefield franchise. Battlefield 2 The Type 98 is the People's Liberation Army's main battle tank in Battlefield 2. Its counterparts are the USMC/SEALs M1A2 Abrams, the MEC T-90, and the EU Challenger 2 and Leopard 2. The differences between the Type 98 and the other main battle tanks in the game are almost purely aesthetic. The MBTs are the heaviest land vehicles available to any of the factions. Its main role is ground vehicular superiority on the map, and is the spearhead of land warfare. Armed with a ZPT-98 cannon as its primary weapon, the Type 98 is capable of doing significant damage to all manners of vehicle and infantry, although its slow rate of fire and inability to aim at a particularly steep angle make it unsuited to combat against aerial vehicles. However, it can still engage low-and-slow-flying helicopters effectively, especially if the gunner is skilled enough, and the helicopter is caught off guard. The shells fired by the cannon are devastating, as it is capable of destroying light vehicles outright, while armored vehicles take 2-4 shots, depeding on where the shot landed. The shells also have a good blast radius at 5 m, which is the same as those of TV missiles fired by the gunner of an attack helicopter. This stat is shared across all other MBTs in the game. As a secondary weapon, the Type 98 is armed with a coaxial Type 67-II which is capable of killing an infantryman in just two rounds under most conditions, but lacks the punch of the main cannon and has no explosive filling. The ZPT-98 is equipped with only forty rounds to start, while the secondary weapon has infinite ammunition. However, the main cannon is limited only by the speed of the reload and the limited reserve ammunition, while the coaxial machinegun has an overheat threshold where it will temporarily cease to be usable once overheated. The passenger is armed with a cupola-mounted Type 85, identical to the Type 85 mounted on the NJ 2046 and PLA FAV, whose damage is higher than the Type 67-II's - at 100 damage, making it a one-hit kill under the right conditions - but whose rate of fire is noticeably lower than the Type 67-II's. As with the other MBTs, the Type 98 possesses smoke grenade dischargers - controlled by the driver - which can lay down a field of smoke to break line of sight, should the player need to retreat or get around the enemy. Gallery Bf2type98hud.png|The Type 98's HUD Type 98 Render BF2.jpg|A render of the Type 98. Battlefield 2: Modern Combat The Type 98 is a vehicle featured in Battlefield 2: Modern Combat. Singleplayer It is used by PLA forces in their clashes with NATO forces in the Almaty, Qyzylorda, and Mangystau Regions. It is available for the player to use on the mission Big Bang. Multiplayer The Type 98 serves as the PLA counterpart to the USMC M1A2 Abrams and the EU Leopard 2A6. It has two positions: the driver and the turret gunner. The driver operates the vehicle and its main gun with 100 rounds while the turret gunner has a Type 85 HMG with 1000 rounds. The Type 98 can easily take out light armored vehicles such as the HMMWV, Eagle IV or even the M6 Linebacker, but it can be countered by Engineers with rocket launchers or the Attack Helicopters. Battlefield 4 The Type 99 MBT is a vehicle featured in the multiplayer of Battlefield 4, serving as the PLA's Main Battle Tank. It was first seen on the map Siege of Shanghai in the Battlefield 4: "Best Moments" Multiplayer Gameplay Trailer. Singleplayer The Type 99 first appears in Shanghai, after Recker and his squad exit the Zhi Yu Towers. A Type 99 breaks through a building and chases the squad through some alleyways, firing upon them until Recker finally loses it. Later on in the same mission, two Type 99s serve as a sort of 'boss battle' for the player, and must be destroyed by either M15 AT Mine, M2 SLAM or C4 before the player can board a boat and escape to the Valkyrie. More Type 99s can be seen during the Singapore mission that serve as enemies that oppose the player trying to get to the airport. Multiplayer The Type-99 MBT serves as the PLA Main Battle Tank. It is the Chinese counterpart to the USMC M1A2 Abrams and the RGF's T-90A. The Type-99 MBT's role is vehicular superiority over a map. Having a powerful 125mm cannon, the tank can take out light vehicles with relative ease, and other vehicles such as IFV and Mobile AA in just a few rounds. The tank can also be equipped with a secondary weapon, varying from anti-personnel machine guns (7.62 LMG to .50 cal MG) to lock-on Guided Shells and smart weapons such as STAFF Shells. The passenger is equipped with a .50 caliber machine gun, which is effective against infantry and light vehicles. As with most land vehicles, the Main Battle Tanks in Battlefield 4 tend to be more susceptible to damage when struck from either the sides or the rear. It is therefore more effective to attack from an angle than head-on. The Type-99 MBT, along with the T-90A have a fatal in-game flaw, where striking the very top of the tank turret twice at any angle will result in a two-shot kill as if firing 90 degrees towards the rear and dealing a Mobility Kill. It is currently unknown why this happens and is most likely an in-game bug. This bug does not appear to affect the M1 Abrams however. The driver seat is armed with two weapons, depending on specializations. Unlike Battlefield 3, MBTs now have separate slots for countermeasures, optics and upgrades. For the primary weapon, the default shell the tank fires is the AP shell. AP shells have a higher splash damage then the other three shells. However, the splash damage difference between the AP shells and the other shells is small. Additionally, the AP shells also have the second flattest trajectory. The second unlock for the Main Battle Tank shells is the HE Shells, dealing a wider and more powerful splash damage against infantry but weakest against armored targets out of all the existing primary shells whilst also having a much more pronounced arc in its trajectory, making it less effective at medium and long ranges, but more effective at closer ranges. The last shell unlocked are Sabot shells. These do the same damage as the AP shells (with the exception of RHIB boats where the AP shells do slightly more damage), but travel at a much greater velocity, giving it a less pronounced arc in its trajectory, and by extension a greater effective range. The first secondary weapon to be unlocked is the Coaxial LMG, which can be used to greater effect against infantry compared to shells, which are limited in ammunition and reload time. It takes between 5-7 rounds at bare minimum to kill infantry, though it cannot damage light vehicles or aircraft. The following unlock is the Guided Shells, which functions similarly to the FGM-148 Javelin in that the operator must maintain a lock on the target vehicle until the missile hits. Air vehicles must be laser designated. Laser-designated targets will receive more damage and weapon lock does not need to be maintained as long as the target has been designated. The Coaxial HMG is the next unlock and does significantly more damage then the coaxial LMG, with the ability to kill infantry in just 2-4 shots. It additionally has a longer firing time before overheating than the LMG and can also damage lightly armored vehicles such as ITVs, armored cars and air vehicles, unlike its LMG counterpart. The fourth unlock is the Canister Shell, functioning similarly to its counterpart in Battlefield 3. Once fired, 16 pellets will be fired like a shotgun, each with a maximum damage of 35, and a minimum of 25 making it a potent anti-infantry and aircraft munition. Lastly is the STAFF Shell, which functions similarly to the MBT-LAW in that the missile will guide itself towards a target in close proximity to it, adjusting itself for a high-angle attack. Countermeasures for MBTs are IR Smoke which thwarts weapon lock-on as well as any inbound guided weaponry; Smokescreen does not remove weapon lock, but instead prevents such weaponry from scoring a critical hit; the Extinguisher can be used to recover a vehicle from a critical state as well as impeded mobility; Active Protection destroys incoming projectiles mid-flight for a short time before having to recharge. There are a number of optics available to the driver and gunner. Zoom optics assists with long range engagements; Thermal optics switches the display to a monotone colour output; all players, explosives and vehicles have a thermal signature and thus are highlighted white while everything else is black. It is useful in environments where high contrast or detail prevents easy visibility of hostiles; IRNV optics are a combination of thermal and night vision, highlighting the heat signatures of vehicles up to 70 meters away and infantry up to 50 meters, while increasing brightness in darker environments. Upgrades are passive abilities - that is, they require no activation by the user and are active in all seats, save for the Autoloader and Reactive Armor upgrades: Maintenance increases armor regeneration; Thermal Camo increases lock-on time of guided munitions, buying time for the user to vacate the area or search and destroy the hostile whilst also appearing much darker and difficult to spot under Thermal and Night-vision based optics; the Autoloader decreases the time between shots; Proximity Scan detects explosives and personnel within thirty meters of the vehicle, useful when traversing tight urban environments and ambush territory; finally, Reactive Armor protects against mobility damage, preventing any shots that would normally stop a vehicle moving at all from doing so with the exception of 90 degree rocket strikes to the rear. Comparison The Type 99 MBT has the best acceleration/deceleration in the class, as well as a higher maximum speed that similar to Russian T-90A. However the Coaxial HMG on Type 99 appears to have a slightly lower accuracy compare to M1 Abrams's. Gallery Bf4 type99.jpg|The Type 99 on the customize screen. Battlefield Hardline The Type 98 appears in the singleplayer campaign of Battlefield Hardline in the episode Sovereign Land. Enraged that his property was being destroyed and stolen, Tony Alpert enters a Type 98 that he had procured from selling "Hot Shot" cocaine across the country and proceeds to engage Nicholas Mendoza in combat, who had stolen one of Alpert's M1 Abrams. Ultimately, Alpert fails to stop Mendoza and is killed from his tank explosion. BFHL Tony.jpg Tony Alpert Death.jpg|Tony Alpert's Death References Category:Vehicles of Battlefield 2 Category:Vehicles of Battlefield 2: Modern Combat Category:Main Battle Tanks Category:Vehicles of Battlefield 4 Category:Vehicles of Battlefield Hardline